I Am the Good Shepherd

 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me…”John 10:14 (NLT)

“I am the good shepherd”...Jesus utters this phrase after telling the crowds that He is the gate. He takes His analogy a step further. He will act as a good shepherd. This stands in stark contrast to the pretentiousness of the religious leaders. A shepherd was a humble role. One with little to no recognition.  A shepherd was one of leading and looking out for the needs of the flock. Jesus could have taken on a variety of different roles. He could have said, “I am the king” especially since the Jewish people were awaiting a Messiah who would take the role of a king, and free them from Roman oppression. Yet, Jesus does not say “I am the king”. No, He says, “I am the good shepherd”.

When Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd”, He is actually referring back to a prophecy from the book of Ezekiel. The Pharisees would have been familiar with this prophecy.  Ezekiel 34:1-2 says, “Then this message came from the Lord to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep?’”(NLT) Later in this same passage, it refers to the characteristics of a good shepherd. It says, “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12, NLT) When Jesus refers back to this prophecy, He is claiming that He is the Messiah. He is the good shepherd that is referenced in this passage. Jesus is pointing out that He is different from the religious leaders who were not truly shepherding their flocks. Instead, they were only concerned with themselves. 

Of course, the religious leaders and Pharisees would have considered His statement blasphemous, and another reason to silence Him. He is a good shepherd. He is the Messiah. And while we may not be listening to or following the “Pharisees”, we are being guided by something. We are being discipled by something. Maybe we are listening to the media or advertising. Maybe we are listening to what society says is important. Anything we are listening to aside from Him, will lead us astray. It will not lead us to the green pastures of the abundant life that He calls us to. 

In the book of Joshua, as the Israelites were about to cross into the land God had given them, God told them that if they wanted to be successful in everything they did, they needed to do three things. First, they needed to study His book of instruction. Secondly, they needed to meditate on it. Lastly, they needed to obey it. The same is true of us. If we want to truly succeed in life, we need to study His Word. Then, we need to think about what it says and how it applies to our life. We also need to obey it. We need to actually do what it says even if it goes against what we want or what this world tells us we should do. It might at times seem confining but in reality it is our safeguard. It is what will lead us to life and peace. He is a good Shepherd and He knows how to lead us well.

“Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us.” Psalm 80:1-2 (NLT)

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 34, John 10:14-21